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Sunflower looked outside, watching the sun begin to set. Even with how dark it was outside, the backup lights kicking up from within the garden made the lighting in the room about the same. Real sunlight in the morning, artificial at night. That’s about what these plants were used to.
Some, of course, were more happy with this than others. It left Magnet-Shroom, for instance, always tired. Night gardens were expensive though, so this is just what she’d have to deal with for a while.
Sunflower was always a bit intrigued by her. In the few bouts she was awake, she was usually cranky and put-off by anyone wanting to talk. Still, something about them intrigued Sunflower. She would often see, through a window, the other Magnet-Shrooms in action, especially at night. They stood by just behind the walnuts, and take zombies of their own defences. They didn’t do much fighting in of themselves, but they were invaluable…like Sunflower herself imagined to be.
The gardener was busy, giving them their last spouts of water for the day, the little snail around as well for…some reason. She never got a straight answer when she asked why they were there…
“Gardener?” Sunflower asked, just as they were getting around to giving her water, “Think you can place me next to Magnet-Shroom for a bit?”
She didn’t elaborate as to why, she could barely formulate into words herself. Thankfully, the gardener saw no harm in it, and moved her into the empty flower pot to her right.
Yep, as usual, sound asleep. Sunflower frowned at that, looking around a bit.
“I don’t know what you expected, Sun.” As usual, Snow Pea had to get a snide remark in, “She’s asleep again. It’s a day that ends in Y, after all.”
“Well, I was hoping to fix that.” Sunflower sighed, looking around her vicinity. If Sunflower was lucky, the gardener forgot something in here again…
“Ah, there it is!”
Just beyond reach of her flower pot, was a cup of tea, still with some smoke rising off of it. That should do the trick.
“Hey Blover. Think you could…” She gestured to the tea, and then back at Magnet-Shroom.
“Don’t worry. I’m on it.”
Blover readied themself, and span its petals as fast as it could. The steam coming off of the tea blew across the room, right into the magnetic plant. Magnet Shroom shut her eyes tighter, slowly stirring awake a bit. They recognized the smell…this wasn’t the only time she stole this drink from the gardener. Almost on instinct, the two white points on her head began to light up. The others watched as the little cup, thanks to the little metal rim, began sliding across the room, close enough for Magnet Shroom to lift it up awkwardly in her leaves and bring it up to thier face.
Once they had a decent drink, they opened her eyes, blinking a few times, before looking outside.
“Eugh…lucky ones.” She figured, before flinching, seeing someone new beside her, “Oh…Sunflower.”
“Hi, Magnet.” Sunflower smiled, “I’m usually, uh, back there in the corner there.”
“I see…so why aren’t you there now?”
This situation felt a bit more tense now…Sunflower stumbled over her words at that, nervously.
“Y-you just seemed interesting. I wanted to get to know you better.”
Magnet Shroom gave her a look. Well, given her usual company consisted of Snow-Pea, Chomper and Colonel Pult…and the fact the caffeine from this tea would keep her awake for at least a few hours, she figured she might as well go along with it.
“Sure. What do you want to know?”
“So…how are you handling, you know, the garden?”
“Not great.” She explained firmly, “I actually had a pretty nice garden out in the middle of the night but then…old gardener got eaten…yours took me in.”
“Oh…” Sunflower never knew that. She always found it odd she came here fully grown, “I’m…I’m so sorry.”
“Eh, it's how it is. I’m surprised you aren’t used to it.” Magnet thought, “Given how many zombies are out there.”
“That doesn’t mean we should get used to how bad things are!” Sunflower insisted.
“Whatever…”
“We shouldn’t!” Sunflower insisted, before clearing her throat, trying to keep her cool, “So…what was your old gardener like?”
“He was nothing special.” Magnet sighed, “Barely remembered to even water us but, thankfully, his watering can was metal. I had to do it for the garden…”
“Not a very attentive gardener then?” Sunflower asked.
“Nope…not like yours…the one that pets you on the head every time.”
“I like it when they do that.” Sunflower admitted.
“I guess it's good you got a gardener who, ya know, gives a soil.” She sighed, “Still, what's the hold up on that night garden?”
“I’m guessing it's just really expensive.” Sunflower figured, “Maybe they just need to save up the money?”
“Or they could just, you know, stop ordering pizzas with that weirdo Dave guy.” Snowpea mentioned.
“Even then…” Magnet shroom brought up, “I doubt they just wanna sit inside and eat home grown veggies all day.”
“Hey, my peas are divine!” She interjected.
“Anyways…” Sunflower tried to get back on track, “I hope the caffeine helps some…even if I kinda doubt its healthy for a plant to drink that.”
“It’s unhealthy for anyone to drink it.” Magnet Shroom corrected, “If I wanna stay awake and not feel miserable for it though. It’s kinda needed.”
“I understand that.” Sunflower thought, before asking, “I don’t want you to be miserable here….maybe ask the gardener for a sleep mask when they come back?”
“They're not gonna give me that…”
“Why not?” Sunflower asked.
“Because I’m just a plant.” Magnet Shroom sighed, “We’re just here to look pretty, get them money and maybe save their life. Why would they do that for us?”
“Because they're looking after us.” Sunflower frowned at that, getting upset, “You don’t know the planter here at all, do you?”
“I’m asleep ninety percent of the time they’re here.” Magent reminded her.
“They care a lot about us. They want us to be happy. I’m sure they’d hear you out. Heck, I’ll ask for you if you want.”
Magnet blinked at that. Seems saying something like that about her planter really got under her skin. They seemed to be close, anyways, but Magnet really didn’t care for humans all that much. The first one pretty much left her for dead after all.
“There’s good in people…I’m sure you’ll see it soon.” Sunflower promised.
“If you say so…” Magnet Shroom sighed, “So what is it you do around here.”
“Well, we usually just chat, play games, watch videos.”
“Oh don’t remind me.” Magnet sighed. Whenever someone roused her from a deep sleep, most of the time, it was over getting a phone or a game controller or whatever.”
“I think you might like them.” Sunflower smiled.
“I’ll think about it.” Magent assured, not considering it for a second.
Sunflower frowned. This really wasn't going as well as she’d hoped. She tried to think of something else to say.
“You’re…white tops are really pretty.”
Magnet blinked at that…well, she was nothing if not forward. She looked down at that and blushed.
“Uh…thanks.” Magnet Shroom thought of how to respond, “You’re…uh…very yellow.”
Well, that didn’t help. Sunflower just looked aside, disappointed. So much for making a new friend.
“You’re an interesting person, Sunflower.”
She perked up at that, looking over to her.
“You’re different, at least.” Magnet shrugged her leaves, “I’m not really good at this sort of thing…but maybe we can talk another time? I’m gonna drained from what we already have.”
Sunflower beamed at that…she did seem pretty different from her but, heck, she’d always appreciate someone new who wanted to hang out. Sure, that’d probably change when they did get a night garden, but…
“Want me to grab the phone for you?” She asked, “They left it out again. Just keep the sound low. Gonna try to enjoy the ambience”
Sunflower blinked, before nodding, watching the phone get brought to her.
“You got it…new friend.”
Magnet blinked, confused, “I mean, one conversation and you wanna call me a-”
“Yes, yes I do…friend.”
Magnet just decided to go with it. It seemed to make her happy, anyways.
“Well, if you say so.”